What is the good news of the Gospel?
You have probably heard the term Gospel before and have seen the posters with John 3:16 written on them. But what exactly does the Gospel mean?
In the beginning…..
The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:1,31a – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…… And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good.” The universe and all that is in it didn’t just happen by chance. God carefully and lovingly designed the perfect home for you. God’s creation was perfect, but then something terrible happened.
The Fall……
Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned….” Adam and Eve chose to do what they wanted and rejected God’s authority. This disobedience, sin, brought a curse upon creation. Things are not the way they are supposed to be. The world is full of suffering, pain and evil.
A Savior…..
Man had rejected God, but God never stopped loving them. From the moment of man’s disobedience God promised to rescue them. In Genesis 3:15 God gives us his first promise of the one who would come and rescue man from their sin and restore the relationship between God and man. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ – full of grace and truth, power and perfection, humility and holiness – to make a way for sinners to be reconciled to God.
The Cross…..
1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…..” Jesus died on the cross to take upon himself the penalty of sin so that we might be reconciled to God. God forgives us, not because of our good works, but because of the sacrifice of his son on the cross. But death was not the end for Jesus, and it doesn’t have to be the end for you.
The Promise…..
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God promises that those who repent of their sins and put their trust in Jesus will be saved. Being a Christian means we renounce our old ways of thinking and living; we trust in Christ alone as our Savior, obey him as Lord, and love him as our greatest treasure.
So what now?
Are you ready to take the next steps toward a relationship with God? Begin with these steps:
Understanding: I know I am a sinner, separated from God and can do nothing to earn his favor.
Faith: I believe Jesus is God’s Son, that he died for my sins and rose again from the dead.
Repentance: I am sorry for my sinful thoughts and actions. I turn from them and trust in Jesus alone for forgiveness.
Purpose: I want to live for Jesus, be a new person, and learn to love others.
Hope: I will live forever with God in the joy of his new creation.
If you have taken these next steps, we encourage you to do the following:
- Talk to a Christian who can tell you more about Jesus Christ.
- Start praying to God. Its ok if you don’t know “how to do it.” Just speak from your heart. God will listen
- Get a copy of the Bible and read it for yourself. We encourage you to start with the Gospel of John.
- Join a local Christian church where the Gospel is believed and the Bible is taught.
- Contact us and let us celebrate and help you on your new walk!!!